BE AWARENESS, BACK PAIN MAY RESULT IN DEATH

If you often complain that you can’t get maximum activity because you suffer from back pain, you are not alone. Many people also experience it. But, do you know that back pain can also increase your risk of dying earlier? A new study published in the European Journal of Pain says that might happen. Researchers studied 4,390 twins in Denmark who were 70 years and over. They found that people with back pain had a 13 percent higher risk of dying from any cause, compared to those without back pain.
Because this study was conducted on twins, researchers could rule out risk factors for genetic diseases that could also cause death, said study senior author Paulo Ferreira, Ph.D., from the University of Sydney. This finding is significant because many people think that back pain is not life threatening.
But, this study shows otherwise, back pain can actually function as a red flag in terms of health risks. Although researchers cannot establish a theory of causation, whether it is possible that it is not back pain that is actually the cause of premature death, Ferreira notes that there is a relationship between spinal pain and poor health conditions, including limited functional abilities.
This can trigger some serious health problems, for example; loss of functional ability has a domino effect that can cause lower motion capacity and reduced muscle mass, leading to immobility and other hazards.
For example, someone suffering from chronic pain and not being able to move because they also suffer from back pain, this can encourage feelings of depression which in turn can affect sleep patterns, nutritional choices, stress levels and self-respect. These factors, when combined, can increase the risk of death.
Problems will get worse if drugs and surgery cannot repair back pain, Ferreira said.
“The best treatment for back pain is a healthy lifestyle, including physical activity. Humans are designed to be physically active. If this is not fulfilled, there will be many health problems, including obesity, which can increase the risk of heart disease and diabetes. “(*)

Source: jogja.tribunnews.com